1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless communications technologies, and more particularly, to a method and system for providing targeted advertisements to consumers through wireless communications devices.
2. Background of the Invention
As wireless communications technology continues to improve and become a more affordable, the general public is becoming increasingly dependent upon wireless communications devices to communicate with others when conventional land line telephones are unavailable. Whether through cellular telephones, interactive pages, networked personal digital assistants, or other such devices, users can communicate with others by voice or e-mail from virtually any location. As a result, many users are almost always accessible, even while driving or shopping.
As is generally known, wireless communications devices communicate through a network of cells covering geographical areas, each having a base station for transmitting and receiving messages to and from cellular communications devices within a respective cell region. A plurality of base stations is connected to a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO), which acts as a controller for the cellular system. The MTSO is also connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to allow communications between cellular devices and landline telephones or computer systems.
Wireless networks generally utilize an autonomous registration system to track the location and status of the wireless devices that can operate on the network. The identification information typically informs the system where the wireless device is located in the system, so that the wireless device can be subsequently paged when receiving a call or signal. Wireless devices communicate with the network over dedicated control channels to transmit registration information and to receive pages and other signaling information. For example, when a cellular telephone user receives a call, the network first sends a page to the cellular site where the target cellular telephone was last registered. The signal is then broadcast throughout the cell site over a control channel. If the target wireless device is within the expected area, the user responds to the page (e.g., a ringing or vibrating signal) to begin communicating with the caller over a pair of voice channels allocated for the communication. If the target wireless device is not located within the expected area, the network may broadcast signal information over control channels in surrounding cell sites or regions to locate the device. The particular implementation of a registration system for a wireless network is generally designed such that the network can quickly and efficiently locate the targeted wireless devices. One technique for performing autonomous registration is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,999, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Recent technological advances in digital user interfaces have added versatility to wireless communications devices by enabling users to access text and graphics information over the screen of the device. For example, most digital cellular telephones at a minimum display the current time and date. Many cellular telephones also include personal telephone number and address directories. It is not uncommon for digital cellular telephones to also allow users to receive numeric pages and text messages on the screen of the device. As more features and applications converge into wireless communications devices, users are increasingly relying upon such devices as an essential tool for both personal organization and wireless communication.
Although wireless communications devices are used for voice-based telephone or text-based e-mail communications, it has not been known to effectively utilize such devices to receive targeted consumer advertisement information. Through media such as signs and billboards, television and radio advertisements, or newspaper coupons and flyers, consumers are continually subjected to different forms of advertising and promotions of products and services throughout each day. Unfortunately, most advertising in these conventional formats is ineffective, because the advertisements do not target persons who would be likely to buy the product. For example, television, radio, or newspaper advertising for a local diner or restaurant is unlikely to be of interest to persons who are not located reasonably close to the advertised establishment. Many people are therefore unreceptive to traditional methods of advertising because it tends to be overinclusive and irrelevant. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for providing advertising that is relevant to the particular recipients of the advertisements.